A Shining Apple
by The Legend of Derpy
Summary: Takes place right after Chrysalis' defeat. Apple Bloom is to be the flower girl, but she's getting some dangerous feelings whenever Shining Armor comes into her presence. Who is she to love the princess' soon to be husband? Guilt swallows her up, and she needs a way to move on. Of course, a certain alicorn could help her do just this. One sided Applebloom x Shining Armor.


_AN: Pairing generator. I shall say no more. Just your average, fluffy oneshot. That sucks. Okay, maybe it doesn't suck, but I always feel unsure of these things when I post them. One of these days the herd is going to disown me for shipping ponies with anything that moves. :P_

The filly holds the basket of flowers in her mouth carefully, trying her darndest to not let the sweet petals of cherry rose petals spill their fragrance and bodies onto the floor. The white porcelain floor freezes her hooves to icicles, but she endures it all the same. The wooden doors stand like soldiers, riddled with the curious patterns of squares and miscellaneous grooves. They must lead to the wedding, Bloom realizes. She can hear the pleasant buzz of guests on the other side. Behind her, a soon to be prince resides calmly, adjusting his outfit slightly. Though one would think any young colt in this current state affairs would be panicking-weddings are no easy affair for the groom, maybe more so for the bride, yet quite stressful enough for the male- he stood with a sort of relaxed air. It seemed where ever this Shining Armor stood, he brought with him an almost peaceful attitude. Apple Bloom had noticed it throughout the entire wedding fiasco: the power of his love for his Princess was an emotion well felt throughout the castle, especially by that awful Queen Chrysalis, of course, but somehow Apple Bloom felt that she had experienced it in a different way.

Perhaps this is how he led his men of Equestrian defenders so bravely into hellfire and death, his pure attitude. It was a tough job, one that not just any pony could waltz up and claim. Bloom couldn't help feeling a surge of pride for this brother of Twilight Sparkle. The expression on his face as he joined with Cadence to banish evil with their love, it washed her over like a soft wave when she watched it just that one hour ago. Funny to think that after a to the death battle, life went onto its normal track so soon after. Ponies talked not of war, but of white bride dresses, ponies get married, the flow of life returns. Still, though she tries to distract herself from the feeling at hand with thoughts of normalcy and such, that warm glow she felt, she can't deny. It was funny, almost like something out of that trashy romance novel that Rarity accidently left at sweet Apple Acres when she came for a visit. Applejack had come into the CMC's trademark renovated clubhouse to see three curious Cutie Mark Crusaders struggling to understand the sexual symbolism that the book held within its creamy pages. "Cutie Mark novelists!" they had shouted upon Applejack's arrival, their innocence unbelievable but true, in every sense.

Like an anchor ripping through the sea, a soft voice tickled Bloom's ears and pulled the young filly out of her memories.

"Hey, little one! Are you our flower girl?" He offered a grin, which shone more than a freshly minted bit.

"Um, yes sir! Yes sir, ah sure am!" It occurs to her how odd a country accent might sound to a pony who had lived in Canterlot all his life, and she sheepishly hangs her head in a sort of embarrassed defeat. Shining didn't seem to notice her accent, yet her sudden sad expression shocks the colt. The remembrances of helping Twily in times of need, those sad eyes she used to give him when Mr. Smartypants was not enough to heal her wounds, they all swim back into his brain, back into memory. A quick desicion leaves the colt no choice but to question the young mare.

"Is anything wrong?"

Bloom makes the mistake of lifting her head and looking into his eyes, or the sapphires that he called eyes. She is bowled over by the light blue that danced in his eyes, the mane that was always messy yet seemed to look so beautiful. His horn glistened in an invisible sun, and Apple Bloom just can't help staring at it. Yet instantly, guilt washed to bay, drowning all these feelings in a sea of grief. Who was she to fall in love with an alicorn's soon to be husband? Who was she to dare host these feelings?

"When you and yer almost-wife where defeating the Queen, Mr. Shining, ai felt something. I don't know haw to explain it, but it was some sorta pull on ma heartstrings. And it made me wondar..." She gulps a fresh throat full of saliva.

"It made me wondar if I'd ever find a special somepony. Like yo-"

Yet before she could complete her sentence, the colt had cut her off, shaking his head. The source of her troubles seemed so tiny, and it gave him pleasure to help her out. She reminds him much of Twi in her younger years. "Kid, you're too worried to be worrying about these things. I know it seems tough, not getting the love you want. I know who you like, and it must be tough when he ignores you."

She perks her head a bit. "You know?"

"Sure I do. That little guy in the tux, right? The dragon who keeps spitting out the nonsense about a bachelor party. Anyway. Listen, kid. Everyone has a destined somepony, no matter how great you think the odds are against you. Look at me. I'm a unicorn, and I found the alicorn of my dreams. And if that isn't proof enough that you can find someone? The fact that me, a mere unicorn, managed to capture the heart of a princess? I don't know what can." He opens his mouth to say more, but before he could, a stream of six mares came running toward the pair. The song of hooves cracking the ground like a whip is heard singing across the halls, and Shining looks up to greet the noise. At the head of the pack is a rather exhausted Twilight. She slides to a grinding halt and yells in a rather strained voice. It's obvious she's been running around, making preparations as quickly as possible or this thing. "Shining! The wedding! It's starting, you need to get in there before Cadence comes!" She looks at Apple Bloom, almost as if she is an afterthought. "Oh, and Apple Bloom, remember to walk ahead of Cadence, throw the petals everywhere in the aisle, and exit to the right-not the left! You were having trouble with this at practice!- when you're through."

Applejack smiled at her sister, peeking from behind Twilight. Her smile, though not as radiant as Shining's, installs some happiness in the small filly. "Yer gonna do great, little partner." she beamed, obviously proud that her sister was to be the flower girl. Or perhaps it was the fact that Sweet Apple Acres was getting ten thousand bits for catering. In any event, Sweet Apple Acres Hard Cider was on Jack tonight.

Shining was swallowed by the huge doors which he wedges through to reach his rightful spot on the alter. He is to await the sight of his bride, sigh in her awe, and allow the loose feeling of his love capture the rows and rows of ponies. Bloom is left alone, sure enough, and though she feels somewhat rejected by the unicorn, she yet has time to think about her current predicament. Shining was right, everypony had some other destined pony. And for Bloom, Shining Armor just wasn't that one. She could accept this somehow, and the youngest Apple family member can see herself moving on. What the unsuspecting pony doesn't see is a small red heart, floating behind her. A tiny thing, really, yet it creeps on Bloom like Opalescence on a ball of yarn, moving of its own accord. It beans her in the neck and soaks into her yellowish fur, yet she doesn't appear to be in pain. A smile spreads across the face of the young one. A new feeling rises in her chest, and she grins. Yeah, she could get on, find someone new.

Her thoughts drifted to Spike as her "moving on" pawn.

"Did you do it? Did it work?" Spike nervously twists his claws, wondering if the name "Princess of Love" is all just talk. He certainly hopes not; he's been wanting to move on from his heart break with Rarity for a while and it seemed like the new pony of his affections paid him no heed. How many conversations did the two even have, really? There was no doubt in his mind, though: Spike had watched the pony from afar for too long. Sure, hiring a bride-to-be princess is a bit extreme. But giving his predicament...

"Yes, it did. I can feel her love rise from here, I'm sure of it."

The tiny dragon raises an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you sure, Princess Cadence? You said before that her heart read that she had a crush on your husband. That's just weird."

A shrug is seen coming from the Princess. "I thought it was strange myself. I've never read a heart wrong before. But she does have feelings for you now, Spike, I'm sure of it. That love spell hit her square in the neck."

Dragon scales rarely come in red, yet the baby dragon's cheeks flush a dark crimson. "I can't believe you did this for me on your wedding day, Princess. I mean, I thought coming to you and asking if you could help me with a girl problem wouldn't work, but your magic is amazing! Thank you so much!"

She merely smiled, and ruffled her wings. "You're welcome, Spike. It was nothing Now, go get your filly."

The pattering of claws is heard as the baby skidders across the room from his hiding place behind the statue to greet the newly changed Bloom. Cadence, brushing a little dirt off her dress, merely smiles.

"I hope they catch my bouquet when I throw it to the bridesmaids," she muses playfully, picking at the perfectly arranged flowers. "That will really test the strength of my magic!"


End file.
